Brook Benton
Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, with hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.
Brook Benton | |
|---|---|
 Promotional photo of Benton (1959) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Franklin Peay |
| Also known as | Bruno Norm |
| Born | September 19, 1931 Lugoff, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 9, 1988 (aged 56) Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1948–1988 |
| Labels | Okeh, Mercury, Cotillion, RCA |
He made a comeback in 1970 with the ballad "Rainy Night in Georgia." Benton scored over 50 Billboard chart hits as an artist, and also wrote hits for other performers.[1]
Early life and career
When Benton was young, he enjoyed gospel music, wrote songs and sang in a Methodist church choir in Lugoff, South Carolina, where his father, Willie Peay, was choir master.[2] In 1948, he went to New York to pursue his music career, going in and out of gospel groups, such as The Langfordaires, The Jerusalem Stars and The Golden Gate Quartet. Returning to his home state, he joined a R&B singing group, The Sandmen, and went back to New York to get a big break with his group. The Sandmen had limited success and their label, Okeh Records, decided to push Peay as a solo artist, changing his name to Brook Benton, apparently at the suggestion of label executive Marv Halsman.[3]
Brook earned a good living by writing songs and co-producing albums. He wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter (for whom he co-wrote the hit "A Lover's Question") and Roy Hamilton. He eventually released his first minor hit, "A Million Miles from Nowhere", before switching to the Mercury label, which would eventually bring him major success. He also appeared in the 1957 film "Mister Rock And Roll" with Alan Freed.
Success
In 1959, he finally made his breakthrough with hits like "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly". "It's Just a Matter of Time" peaked at #3 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart, sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[4] "Endlessly" made it to #12. Both of the first two hits were written by Benton with Clyde Otis. They were originally offered to Nat King Cole, but when Otis became an A&R manager and producer at Mercury, he convinced Benton to sign with the label and record them himself, while asking Cole not to record the songs as planned.[5] Benton followed this success with a series of hits, including "So Many Ways" (#6), "Hotel Happiness" (#3), "Think Twice" (#11), "Kiddio" (#7), and "The Boll Weevil Song" (#2). In 1960, he had two top 10 hit duets with Dinah Washington: "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" (#5) and "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)" (#7).[6]
In the mid 1960s, Benton recorded for RCA Records and Reprise Records with minimal commercial success. Then, in 1968, he signed with Cotillion Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, where, the following year, he enjoyed his last major hit with "Rainy Night in Georgia", written by Tony Joe White and produced and arranged by Arif Mardin, a million-seller which topped the Billboard R&B chart.[6] Benton recorded a total of five albums with Mardin, including a gospel album, during his stay at Cotillion.
Benton eventually charted a total of 49 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with other songs charting on Billboard's rhythm and blues, easy listening, and Christmas music charts.[7] The last album made by Benton was Fools Rush In, which was released posthumously in 2005. He also had records released on various other labels, including All-Platinum, Brut, Olde Worlde, Stax and Groove Records.[8]
Death
Weakened from spinal meningitis, Brook died of pneumonia in Queens, New York City, at the age of 56 on April 9, 1988. He was survived by his wife, Mary Benton, and six children, Brook Jr., Vanessa, Roy, Isreal, Gerald and Benjamin, all of Queens.[2]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | United States Pop |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | It's Just a Matter of Time | - |
| 1959 | Endlessly | - |
| 1960 | I Love You in So Many Ways | - |
| 1960 | The Two of Us (with Dinah Washington) | - |
| 1960 | Songs I Love To Sing (Verve) | - |
| 1961 | Golden Hits | 82 |
| 1961 | The Boll Weevil Song and 11 Other Great Hits | 70 |
| 1962 | If You Believe | 77 |
| 1962 | Singing the Blues – Lie to Me | 40 |
| 1963 | Golden Hits, Volume 2 | 82 |
| 1963 | Best Ballads of Broadway | - |
| 1964 | Born to Sing the Blues | - |
| 1964 | Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got) | 156 |
| 1969 | Do Your Own Thing | 189 |
| 1970 | Brook Benton Today (1.) | 27 |
| 1970 | Homestyle | 199 |
| 1971 | The Gospel Truth | - |
| 1972 | Story Teller | - |
| 1973 | Something for Everyone | - |
| 1976 | " This is Brook Benton" also released in the UK as "Mister Bartender" on the All Platinum label. | |
| 1977 | Makin' Love Is Good For You | |
| 1977 | The Incomparable Brook Benton – 20 Greatest Hits (Warwick) | |
| 1979 | Ain't No Good | |
| 1979 | So Close | |
| 1981 | Brook Benton Sings The Standards | |
| 1983 | 20 Golden Pieces Of Brook Benton | |
| 1983 | Beautiful memories Of Christmas | |
| 1984 | Soft | |
| 1989 | Forty Greatest Hits (2xCD) (Polygram) (Compilation) | |
| 2002 | Rainy Night in Georgia (Slam UK) (Compilation, remastered) | - |
1. "Brook Benton Today" also hit #4 on the US RnB LP charts in 1970.
Singles
| Year | Single | US Pop | CB Pop | US R&B | US AC | UK Singles Chart[9] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | "The Kentuckian Song" b/w "Ooh" (Non-album track) |
– | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton At His Best!!! |
| "Some of My Best Friends" b/w "Bring Me Love" |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1956 | "Love Made Me Your Fool" b/w "Give Me a Sign" |
– | – | – | – | – | |
| 1957 | "The Wall" b/w "All My Love Belongs to You" (from The Soul Of Brook Benton) |
– | – | – | – | – | |
| "Come On, Be Nice" b/w "I Wanna Do Everything for You" (from Brook Benton) |
– | – | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| 1958 | "A Million Miles from Nowhere" b/w "Devoted" |
82 | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton |
| 1959 | "It's Just a Matter of Time" | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | It's Just a Matter of Time |
| "Hurtin' Inside" | 78 | – | 23 | – | – | Golden Hits | |
| "Endlessly" | 12 | 11 | 3 | – | 28 | Endlessly | |
| "So Close" | 38 | 60 | 5 | – | – | I Love You In So Many Ways | |
| "Thank You Pretty Baby" | 16 | 10 | 1 | – | – | Golden Hits | |
| "With All of My Heart" | 82 | 66 | – | – | – | ||
| "So Many Ways" | 6 | 3 | 1 | – | – | I Love You In So Many Ways | |
| "I Want You Forever" | – | 103 | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "This Time of the Year" b/w "Nothing In The World (Could Make Me Love You More Than I Do)" (first pressings) "How Many Times" (later pressings) |
66 | 65 | 12 | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1960 | "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" b/w "I Do" (Both sides with Dinah Washington) |
5 | 2 | 1 | – | – | The Two of Us |
| "The Ties That Bind" | 37 | 23 | 15 | – | – | Golden Hits | |
| "Hither and Thither and Yon" | 58 | 49 | – | – | – | ||
| "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall In Love)" b/w "I Believe" (Both sides with Dinah Washington) |
7 | 5 | 1 | – | – | The Two of Us | |
| "Kiddio" | 7 | 3 | 1 | – | 41 | Golden Hits | |
| "The Same One" | 16 | 16 | 21 | – | – | ||
| "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)" | 24 | 15 | 5 | – | 50 | Songs I Love to Sing | |
| "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You" | 93 | – | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "This Time of the Year" b/w "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year" |
– | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1961 | "Think Twice" | 11 | 6 | – | – | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| "For My Baby" | 28 | 24 | 2 | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "The Boll Weevil Song" | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 30 | The Boll Weevil Song | |
| "Your Eyes" | – | 115 | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "Frankie and Johnny" | 20 | 16 | 14 | 6 | – | The Boll Weevil Song | |
| "It's Just a House Without You" | 45 | 71 | – | 8 | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 | |
| "Revenge" b/w "Really, Really" (Non-album track) |
15 | 16 | 12 | – | – | ||
| 1962 | "Shadrack" | 19 | 29 | – | – | – | If You Believe |
| "The Lost Penny" | 77 | 94 | – | – | – | ||
| "Walk on the Wild Side" b/w "Somewhere in the Used to Be" (Non-album track) |
43 | 42 | – | – | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 | |
| "Hit Record" | 45 | 36 | 19 | – | – | ||
| "Thanks to the Fool" | 106 | 86 | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "Lie to Me" | 13 | 10 | 3 | – | – | Singing the Blues | |
| "With the Touch of Your Hand" | 120 | 126 | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "Still Waters Run Deep" | 89 | 81 | – | – | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 | |
| 1963 | "Hotel Happiness" | 3 | 6 | 2 | – | – | |
| "I Got What I Wanted" | 28 | 22 | 4 | 14 | – | Singing the Blues | |
| "Dearer Than Life" | 59 | 72 | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| "My True Confession" | 22 | 29 | 7 | 8 | – | Singing The Blues | |
| "Tender Years" | – | 87 | – | – | – | ||
| "Two Tickets to Paradise" b/w "Don't Hate Me" |
32 | 30 | 15 | 8 | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Baby, You've Got It Made" (w/ Damita Jo) | 111 | 133 | – | – | – | ||
| "Stop Foolin'" (w/ Damita Jo) | 108 | 87 | – | – | – | ||
| "You're All I Want for Christmas" b/w "This Time of the Year" |
– | 59 | – | – | – | ||
| 1964 | "Going Going Gone" b/w "After Midnight"(from Born to Sing the Blues) |
35 | 30 | 5 | 11 | – | On the Countryside |
| "Another Cup of Coffee" | 47 | 40 | 4 | 13 | – | Non-album track | |
| "Too Late to Turn Back Now" | 43 | 38 | 8 | 14 | – | This Bitter Earth | |
| "A House Is Not a Home" b/w "Come On Back" |
75 | 50 | 6 | 13 | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Lumberjack" b/w "Don't Do What I Did (Do What I Say)" |
53 | 47 | 11 | 15 | – | This Bitter Earth | |
| "Do It Right" | 67 | 58 | 33 | – | – | ||
| "Please, Please Make It Easy" | 119 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1965 | "The Special Years" b/w "Where There's a Will (There's a Way") |
129 | 109 | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Love Me Now" b/w "A Sleepin' at the Foot of the Bed" |
100 | 97 | – | 37 | – | ||
| "Mother Nature, Father Time" b/w "Where There's Life (There's Still Hope)" |
53 | 43 | 26 | 9 | – | Mother Nature, Father Time | |
| 1966 | "Only a Girl Like You" b/w "While There's Life (There's Still Hope)" |
122 | 102 | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Too Much Good Lovin'" b/w "A Sailor Boy's Love Song" |
126 | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Break Her Heart" b/w "In the Evening by Moonlight" |
– | – | – | 37 | – | ||
| "If Only You Knew" b/w "So True in Life, So True in Love" |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Our First Christmas Together" b/w "Silent Night" |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1967 | "All My Love Belongs to You" b/w "Wake Up" |
– | – | – | – | – | |
| "Keep the Faith, Baby" b/w "Going to Soulsville" |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" b/w "You're the Reason I'm Living" |
78 | 88 | – | 37 | – | Laura, What's He Got That I Ain't Got | |
| 1968 | "Weakness in a Man" b/w "The Glory of Love" (from Laura, What's He Got That I Ain't Got) |
– | – | – | 36 | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Lonely Street" b/w "Instead (of Loving You)" |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Do Your Own Thing" b/w "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" |
99 | 128 | – | 26 | – | ||
| 1969 | "Touch 'Em with Love" b/w "She Knows What to Do for Me" |
– | – | – | – | – | |
| "Nothing Can Take the Place of You" b/w "Woman Without Love" |
74 | 67 | 11 | – | – | ||
| 1970 | "Rainy Night in Georgia" b/w "Where Do I Go from Here" |
4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | Brook Benton Today |
| "My Way" b/w "A Little Bit of Soap" |
72 | 48 | 25 | 35 | – | ||
| "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" b/w "I've Gotta Be Me" (from Brook Benton Today) |
45 | 48 | 31 | 4 | – | Home Style | |
| 1971 | "Shoes" b/w "Let Me Fix It" (from Home Style) |
67 | 52 | 18 | 18 | – | Story Teller |
| "Heaven Help Us All" b/w "Whoever Finds This (I Love You)" (from Home Style) |
– | 120 | – | – | – | The Gospel Truth | |
| "Take a Look at Your Hands" b/w "If You Think God Is Dead" |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Please Send Me Someone to Love" b/w "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye" |
– | – | – | – | – | Story Teller | |
| "A Black Child Can't Smile" b/w "If You Think God Is Dead" (from The Gospel Truth) |
– | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Soul Santa" b/w "Let Us All Get Together with the Lord" (from The Gospel Truth) |
– | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1972 | "Movin' Day" b/w "Poor Make Believer" |
– | – | – | – | – | Story Teller |
| "If You Got the Time" b/w "You Take Me Home Honey" |
104 | – | – | – | – | Something for Everyone | |
| 1973 | "Lay Lady Lay" b/w "A Touch of Class" |
– | 107 | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1974 | "South Carolina" b/w "All That Love Went to Waste" |
– | – | – | – | – | |
| 1976 | "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" b/w "Weekend with Feathers" |
– | – | – | – | – | This Is Brook Benton |
| 1978 | "Making Love Is Good for You" b/w "Better Times" |
– | – | 49 | – | – | Makin' Love Is Good for You |
| "Soft" b/w "Glow Love" |
– | – | – | – | – | Soft |
References
- Gradischnig, Herwig and Maitner, Hans (2015). Brook Benton: There Goes That Song Again. Music Mentor Books. ISBN 9780956267986.
- French, Howard (April 10, 1988). "BROOK BENTON, SINGER OF HIT TUNES KNOWN FOR HIS BALLADS, DIES AT 56". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- "Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks - THE SANDMEN". Uncamarvy.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London, UK: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 110–1. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- Colin Escott, "Clyde Otis: Looking Back". Goldmine, October 1, 1993, pp. 42–43.
- Bill Dahl. "Brook Benton | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Singles 1955–1999 (Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, 2000), 48–49.
- Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. p. 463. ISBN 0-02-061740-2.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 54. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- Soulwalking.co.uk – Brook Benton Fan Page
- VH1.com – Artist Listing
- Tsimon.com – Brook Benton Fan Page
- https://web.archive.org/web/20120205201544/http://www.shewins.com/bio.htm
- Brook Benton at Discogs
- Brook Benton at Find a Grave
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